Metro Manila employment rises marginally

MANILA, Philippines - Employment in Metro Manila grew marginally in the first quarter as more workers were absorbed in the industry sector, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

Based on the PSA’s latest Labor Turnover Statistics (LTS), labor turnover across industries in the metro was slightly higher at 1.27 percent in the first quarter of 2017 from 0.96 percent in the first quarter last year.

This means 13 workers per 1,000 persons employed were added to Metro Manila’s workforce during the reference period.

Accessions or new hires, placed at a rate of 8.79 percent overtook separations which was placed at a rate of 7.52 percent during the reference period. The turnover rate is the difference between the growth rate of new hires and resignations or terminations.

All major economic sectors registered employment gains, led by the industry sector that registered a turnover rate of 2.84 percent during the reference period.

The industry sector absorbed the most number of workers because of expansions, as indicated by the turnover rate of 2.84 percent. Accessions at 8.53 percent outpaced separations at 5.69 percent. The highest recorded gains were seen in mining and quarrying, manufacturing, as well as water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation.

In the services sector, accessions at 8.86 percent marginally outpaced separations at 7.92 percent to post a turnover rate of 0.94 percent. The information and communication subsector registered the highest employment gain in the first quarter as indicated by the turnover rate of 2.78 percent.

Services sub-sectors that hired less and let go of more workers were administrative and support service activities as reflected in negative labor turnover rates of 0.89 percent and 0.11 percent, respectively.

“Administrative and support service activities’ decline in employment was due to employee-initiated separations,” PSA said.

Demand for jobs in the metro during the first quarter were equally driven by the need of companies to expand and replace workers who were dismissed or voluntarily quit employment.

The accession rate of 8.79 percent in the first quarter was brought about by the replacement of workers and business expansion. Separations, meanwhile, were caused mostly by resignations.

The LTS aims to capture job creations and job displacements in business enterprises based in Metro Manila by collecting quarterly data on accessions and separations of workers.